Customers often need some time to confirm that their issue has been fully resolved before a ticket is closed. At the same time, support teams need a way to automatically close inactive tickets and keep their queue organized.

This article explains how to set up a customer response window before a ticket is permanently closed in BoldDesk. In this workflow, agents move resolved tickets to Solved, giving customers a limited period to reply. If the customer responds during this time, the ticket can automatically reopen for further assistance. If no response is received within the configured period, a Time Trigger automatically changes the ticket status from Solved to Closed.

Use this workflow when you want to give customers a final opportunity to respond before their ticket is permanently closed.

Prerequisites

Before configuring this workflow, verify the following:

• The agent’s role must have the Admin module enabled.
• The required customer response period has been determined (for example, 48 hours, 3 days, or 7 days).

Configure the Customer Response Window

Follow the steps below to set up the status behaviour, customer portal setting, and Time Trigger required for this workflow. These settings work together to keep tickets in Solved during the customer response window and move them to Closed after the allowed response period ends.

Step 1. Prevent Closed Tickets from Reopening Automatically

Configure the Closed status so that customer replies do not reopen the ticket.

To configure the Closed status:

1. Go to Admin > Fields & Forms > Ticket Fields.

2. Open the Status field.

3. Edit the Closed status.

4. Under On End User Reply, select Do not perform any action on the ticket state.

5. Click Update.

   

Step 2. Use Solved as the Temporary Customer Response Window

Use the Solved status as the period where customers can still reply and reopen the ticket.

To configure the Solved status:

1. Go to Admin > Fields & Forms > Ticket Fields.

2. Open the Status field.

3. Edit the Solved status.

4. Optional: In Label for End User, enter Closed if you want customers to see the ticket as closed during the response window.

5. Enable On end user reply, ticket status will automatically change to Open.

6. Click Update.

   

With this setup, agents continue to work with the ticket in the Solved status internally, while customers can see the ticket as Closed if the Label for End User is set to Closed. During the configured response window, a customer reply can reopen the ticket because the ticket is still internally in the Solved status.

Step 3. Prevent Customers from Manually Closing Tickets

To keep this workflow controlled by agents and automation, prevent customers from manually closing tickets from the Customer Portal.

To disable customer ticket closure:

1. Go to Admin > Customer Portal.

2. Open the Tickets tab.

3. Under Ticket Closure Settings, disable Allow end-users to close tickets through customer portal.

4. Click Update.

   

After this setting is disabled, customers cannot manually move tickets to the Closed status from the Customer Portal. Only agents or automation can close tickets.

Step 4. Automatically Move Solved Tickets to Closed After the Response Window

Create a Time Trigger to move tickets from Solved to Closed after the allowed response period.

To create the Time Trigger:

1. Go to Admin > Automation > Ticket Automation > Time Triggers.

2. Click Add Rule.

3. Enter a rule name, such as Auto-close solved tickets after 7 days.

4. Select the required business hours or calendar hours.

5. Add the following conditions:

   • Status is Solved.
   • Hours since Solved is greater than or equal to the required response period.
     • When using calendar hours, count the full time continuously, including weekends, holidays, and non-working hours. For example, a 7-day response window equals 168 hours.
     • When using business hours, count only the working hours defined in the selected business hours configuration. For example, if your business hours are 8 hours per day, a 7-business-day response window equals 56 business hours.
     • Make sure the selected business hours match the response window you want to apply before saving the Time Trigger.

   The value entered in Hours since Solved depends on whether the Time Trigger uses calendar hours or business hours.

6. In the action section, set Status to Closed.

7. Save the rule.

   

Expected Result

After the workflow is configured:

1. Agents move resolved tickets to Solved.
2. Customers may see the ticket as Closed if the Solved status end-user label is changed to Closed.
3. Customers can reply during the configured response window.
4. If the customer replies during the response window, the ticket can reopen.
5. If the customer does not reply within the configured period, the Time Trigger moves the ticket to Closed.
6. After the ticket is in the Closed status, customer replies will not reopen the ticket.

Permissions

For an agent to configure a time-based ticket reopen window in BoldDesk, the agent’s role must have the Manage fields and forms and Manage time triggers permissions enabled.

Troubleshooting

The ticket reopens after it is closed

Confirm that the Closed status is configured with On End User Reply set to Do not perform any action on the ticket state. This setting controls whether customer replies reopen tickets in the Closed status.

The ticket does not reopen during the response window

Confirm that the ticket is still in the Solved status and that the Solved status is configured to reopen when an end user replies. If the ticket has already moved to Closed, the ticket will not reopen if the Closed status is configured to take no action.

The ticket does not move from Solved to Closed

Confirm that the Time Trigger is active and the conditions are correct. The rule should check that Status is Solved and Hours since Solved is greater than or equal to the required time period.

Customers can still close tickets from the Customer Portal

Confirm that Allow end-users to close tickets through customer portal is disabled under Admin > Customer Portal > Tickets.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can BoldDesk allow customers to reopen a closed ticket only within a specific time frame?
   Not directly. BoldDesk does not provide a native setting for a time-based reopening window on the Closed status. Use Solved as the temporary response window, then use a Time Trigger to move the ticket to Closed after the allowed period.

2. Why use Solved instead of Closed during the response window?
   Use Solved because customer replies can still reopen the ticket during the response window. Closed should be used as the final status after the response window ends.

3. Can customers see Solved as Closed?
   Yes. You can change the Label for End User of the Solved status to Closed so customers see the ticket as closed while the ticket remains internally in the Solved status.

4. What happens when a customer replies after the ticket is finally closed?
   If the Closed status is configured to Do not perform any action on the ticket state, the ticket will not reopen. The reply may still be added to the conversation depending on the channel and status behavior.

5. Can customers be prevented from manually closing tickets?
   Yes. Disable Allow end-users to close tickets through customer portal under Admin > Customer Portal > Tickets.

Related Articles

1. How to Prevent Tickets from Reopening When Customers Reply in BoldDesk
2. How to Use a Time Trigger to Automatically Close a Ticket
3. How to Prevent Customers from Closing Tickets
4. How to Customize or Create a New Ticket Status